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Book 1 of The Legend of Draconite
Book 1 of The Legend of Draconite: ''Sunstone'' was the book that launched the Chronicles of Libera, introducing a new fantasy world involving several original characters and a plot line that follows the adventures of the Draconites and other major characters. Publication Sunstone, the first book in the LoD series, is currently self-published on Amazon Createspace. Cover and interior art was illustrated designed by the author. This book, along with the rest of the series, was released together and was available for purchase on July 18, 2008 on S.A. Thorup's Lulu storefront. Later on, Sunstone was taken down from Lulu and was published on Createspace in January 2015 after major editing and revision. Plot Summary From the Createspace book page: "The goddess walks in the flesh. The morning approaches. A rumor travels upon the winds of the Southern Isles: a divine, powerful stone has appeared in Zanoll. The prospect of its power draws the attention of a demi-goddess, a pious clan of warriors, and a malignant gang. Luna, benevolent demi-goddess, Mistress of Moon and Water, has long watched over the inhabitants of Libera. In a time past she lost the Sunstone under mysterious circumstances. Now with the Sunstone's appearance in Zanoll, she turns her attention to prophecies of her incarnate and calls upon princess Sabra, Luna's spiritually symbiont and mortal sister, to rise up to her divine role in Libera and help Luna retrieve the Sunstone. The Draconite warriors are protectors of the isle of Ramirrra, followers of the god Zarem and the demi-goddess Luna. When they learn of the appearance of a stone of power, they go westward to retrieve it and bring it to Ramirra for safe-keeping. Among them is the Draconite Tasaru Enkar, who discovers that the Black Darts, a gang with a bloody history, are out to get the stone. Her journey leads her to a holy priest with divine ties to the stone and a secret to her past." Synopsis Zarem Creates Libera and the Molouks Sunstone began with a prologue briefly explaining Zarem's parentage from Layon and Leer. Zarem ripped open the fabric of space to create stars, worlds, and moons, and used his lifegiving wings to spread life upon the worlds. One of these worlds, named Libera, he knew would be special, and would be a vessel for sentients who would carry out great destinies. Over this world he set Aedar Luna, and her alone, to govern the moon and the waters of the world. Over time, the sentients of Libera grew in knowledge and power and grew in great prosperity. After some time, they grew forgetful . Zarem began to grow lonely as his children turned away from him, and his attention was drawn to Luna and the pool at the beginning of the world. Long had Zarem held a deep love for Luna, but hadn't seemed to have declared it directly to her beforehand. He watched Luna return to the pool in the evenings. One evening he left her a feather on a hill near the pool, and then hid to watch her reaction. Luna found it with great joy, tied it to her belt, and watched the trees change color as they do in Fall. A second feather Zarem left near her favorite tree by the pool. When Luna found and attached it next to the first feather, the glow of the moon above intensified in the evening light, a promise that the moon would always be apparent in the sky, even when the sun was at zenith. A third feather Zarem left on the pool itself, and hid to watch again. Luna walked onto the water and held the feather with great love. Zarem revealed himself, and Luna didn't seem entirely surprised to find him there. He wrapped her spirit in his wings. Luna expressed her gratitude for his gifts and wondered what the third feather did, as it didn't have an immediate effect. Zarem explained it was for her to decide what his divine gift would do. Luna revealed her observation of her god and his lonliness through the forgetfullness of his children. She expressed her love for Zarem, and he for her, and through divine means he sealed their bond as husband and wife. Luna then dropped the feather into the water. She pulled from the water two infant beings, male and female, in Zarem's image. Thus was the creation of the Molouks, the saurian kind of Libera. Zarem and Luna raised the children until adulthood and placed them in Ramirra. Zarem returned to the Realm, and Luna returned to her duties as an Aedar. In continued gratitude to Zarem, Luna took part of her own spiritual essence and the essence of moonlight and created the Moonstone and gave it to Zarem. Zarem in turn used his spirit and the essence of sunlight to create the holy Sunstone, which he gave to Luna so that his glory would always reside in Libera. The Sunstone was lost to the passing of time and by mysterious means from Luna's pool, and through these strange circumstances, Luna knew that Zarem's purposes for her were starting to be fulfilled. The prologue also quotes the Codex, from the Book of Raphael. The Prisoner The main body of Sunstone began with the Molouk Tasaru Enkar arriving at Narom shortly after the human Henry Bunckle, then a prisoner, was escorted to the fortress gate. The gate guard grudgingly allowed Tasaru to enter after Arian the Ambitious harassed him, and the Bii'a escorted Tasaru to one of the fortress towers to meet the priestess Hera Lupogryph. Tasaru revealed that she and the other Draconite warriors were searching for a powerful stone rumored to have been revealed in the Southern Isles. Hera revealed that High Priest Aaron may have known more about this stone, and was spreading rumors about it to keep the Black Darts distracted from fighting the monarchy and the church. Tasaru asked to see one of the Black Darts in the prison, and Hera led Tasaru to the Narom dungeon, where Tasaru met Henry Bunckle. Tasaru discovered he bore the buru-kithi, the mark of the Black Darts, on his left shoulder as a mid-ranking Dart member. However, he also had a tattoo of Mevana'u the Just on his chest, the tattoo of the Knights of Mal'ur. Tasaru deduced that Henry was a traitor Zanoll's throne, and decided she would escort Henry to Mal'ur herself to turn him in and meet with Aaron. Hera lent Tasaru her amethyst amulet, a family heirloom from her grandfather Esthar, and bade Tasaru a loving farewell. The Black Darts Appear In Ramirra, High Priestess Aero Enkar, head of the Draconite clan and the adopted mother of Tasaru, mulled over the mission her warrior children had undertaken to find the source of the troubling rumors. She was at the Ramirran Temple at the time, and she met with Ramirra's king, Hend Zuus, in the temple chapel to discuss the re-emerging Black Darts and their impact on trade between the Southern Isles. Aero decided to contact the Draconites via dragon-stone to see if they could investigate the growth of the Black Darts in Zanoll along with their main mission, and suggests that Hend send his informants back out to learn more of the Black Darts. After meeting with Hend, Aero left the chapel. It was bedtime, and master-harper Sophronia was playing the stone harp Amar-an, its music echoing along carvings and grooves in the walls throughout the temple. Aero came across the young Molouk Iris, and decided to escort her to bed. Sophronia bids them a farewell as Aero takes Iris to her dorm. Flight to Carron Tasaru and Henry had taken the road east out of Narom. Tasaru was planning on turning on a road that would lead down to Harrow Lake and eventually on to Mal'ur. During their travels, Tasaru had a flashback dream of when Black Darts razed her home city of Haseth, killing her mother and nearly strangling her to death before being abandoned in the snow. It was during this time, in the midst of a Gift Search for the Gifts Theras and Kesral that Aero located Tasaru. She knew from the promptings of her Gift Swift that Tasaru would someday bear Kesral, and Aero took the infant Molouk as her own daughter. Tasaru awoke from the dream and prodded Henry into waking. He walked cuffed and by a lead rope. As they walked, Tasaru pondered the scriptures of the Codex, as well as current scripture regarding her generation of Draconite warriors, revealing the names of the other unnamed Draconite warriors: Zephyr Krohn, Draque Send, Valena Maurn, and Demos Ess. Henry harassed her during her pondering, and Tasaru treated him somewhat sharply, angered by his interruption. During their conversation, she began to learn that he implied to have a relationship to the then princess Sabra. After some time, Tasaru spotted head-hunters coming their way. She shoved Henry into a roadside gulch, and the two head-hunters, Fist and Gorn surrounded Tasaru on horseback. Gorn made the first threatening move, and after Tasaru warned them not to attack, Fist attacked by sword. Tasaru soon summoned her Gift wings, morphed manna that had a more solid form than other magicks. She took flight and used the razor edges of the wing ribs to incapacitate the head-hunters, who quickly fled. Once they were gone, Tasaru retrieved Henry, who stayed quite silent the rest of the day. Near evening, Tasaru received a communique from Aero through the dragon-stone on her steel helm. They conversed about the Black Darts, and Aero commanded Tasaru to go to Carron and join her Brother Zephyr in investigating the effect Black Darts were having on the trading port there. Tasaru decided to fly, and tries to make Henry run with her into a running take-off. Instead of holding her hands, Henry tries to let go mid-flight, and Tasaru grabbed his arms and bit her claws into them to make him stay with her. Bronwyn the Bold Zephyr Krohn, the Draconite of Intelligence, has been scouting Carron some time, and knew that several Black Darts lived in the city. He met with Tasaru and Henry, and it was revealed that Zephyr and Tasaru share a romantic relationship only stifled by their duties as Draconites. They discuss the presence of the Black Darts in Carron, and Zephyr suggested that Tasaru remove Henry's cuffs so he wouldn't appear as a slave. They decided to separate. Zephyr headed to the town plaza, a hub of trade and intermingling races. He kept himself under his cloak as not to reveal his true identity as a Molouk. While distracted by the beauty of the large water fountain, a drunk man named John with his vegetable cart bumped into Zephyr. Zephyr tried to be polite and apologize, but John was eagerly angered and started a fight with some of his friends. Zephyr used both martial art and magic to keep the men at bay. A woman threw him a chair, which Zephyr used to incapacitate several of the men. John managed to jump on Zephyr's back and stabbed him. It was a lucky hit, as the blade slid between two of Zephyr's shoulder plates. Zephyr threw the man away. Before the fight could continue, a group of Zanollian Corps soldiers pressed through the crowd and proceeded to arrest Zephyr and John. The woman came forward and ordered the soldiers off, showing a surprising amount of authority, and the ZC soldiers focused on John and his friends. The woman led an agitated Zephyr to her home, a dusty place with few commodities. She revealed that she understood who and what he was. He reluctantly allowed her to take off his shoulder armor to clean and bandage his shoulder. After some conversation, Zephyr learned that this woman was a Bii'a named Bronwyn the Bold, a captain in the ZC, who had the ability to briefly change into a human form to assist her with her duties. Zephyr told her about him and Tasaru and their mission to learn about the Black Darts in Carron. Bronwyn replied that she and her soldiers had interrogated a few Black Darts and planned to raid them that night, and invited Zephyr to assist her. The Festival of Boats During this time in Carron, the Festival of Boats, an annual boat competition and celebration, was in full swing. Tasaru learned from a plantation owner and previous sailor, Taggart, about the sailor Kruger and his high chances of winning. Tasaru also learned that the winner would receive a monetary reward and an official certificate that would allow them to have audience with Princess Sabra. Tasaru conversed with Zephyr through the dragon-stone and learned of Zephyr and Bronwyn's plan to infiltrate the Black Darts. Tasaru left Henry at their inn, the Dragonfish Inn, and met with Zephyr and Bronwyn, and after Tasaru requested compensation for their help, Bronwyn reluctantly agreed to it. They went into the sewers and found the Black Darts had a base of operations in a storage area, which the Zanollian Corps soldiers and the Draconites destroyed. The Draconites receive money for their help, and attend the boating contest the next day. Kruger won the contest, and the Draconites and Henry met with him and paid him for passengers. It was decided that Tasaru and Henry would go with him. Tasaru and Zephyr bade an affectionate farewell to each other, and she explicitly stated her wish to someday perform Deish'a Ra with him. Zephyr was left speechless, which discouraged Tasaru, but she forgave him his hesitation and they separated. To Mal'ur Tasaru and Henry sailed with Kruger on his schooner, following Zanoll's eastern shore. Henry was more morose than ever about his fate in Mal'ur. Before they reached Lantis, a freak storm hit their ship, and Tasaru helped Kruger fold the sails. Tasaru was flung to deck, and Henry attacked her. They scuffled briefly before Tasaru folded Henry into her wind-blown cloak and threw him into the cabin area, and he fell unconscious soon after. The storm passed, and they arrived in Lantis. Tasaru guided Henry along the main road so he could stretch his legs. He attempted to steal a weapon from a booth, but Kesral warned Tasaru of his intentions and she stopped him. When they returned to Kruger's boat, Kruger gave Tasaru armor polish. They sailed around the southern peninsula and docked in Mal'ur. On the way to the Royal Palace of Mal'ur, they stopped at a restaurant to eat, although Henry had lost his appetite. They came to the palace, where Kruger presented his certificate and was conducted into Sabra's presence. However, Tasaru immediately sensed something amiss with the princess, even though she had never met Sabra before. Sabra took Henry as prisoner because of his treachery, and Henry protested that she wasn't Sabra. Tasaru soon took her leave to find High Priest Aaron. Prophecies Henry was led by several soldiers to cliffs outside Mal'ur's western gates to be dropped for his treachery. Someone had slashed a dagger through his Mevana'u the Just and buru-kithi tattoos to remind him of his crimes. He was led up a cliff, tied by his wrists to a rope tied around a sturdy tree. They prodded him off, and he eventually fell unconscious from the pain of being held up in such an unnatural manner. He was saved by someone who had been watching the ordeal. She cut his rope and dragged him back to the Holy Temple of Mal'ur, laying him in a secret living compartment. When Henry awoke he was met by the real Sabra, who explained that a fake sat on her throne. Henry knew the fake to be a high ranking Black Dart named Uty. Sabra persuaded Henry to try and return to his honorable duties, and he promised to try. Meanwhile, Tasaru found audience with High Priest Aaron. They spoke in Aaron's study about Aaron's experience with the Sunstone in his youth, his marriage to Whitney Heronsword and Sabra's birth and adoption, and how he had helped propagate rumors about it to distract the Black Darts from fighting the church and the government as much. This led to discussion about how Sabra was in hiding from the fake princess, but Aaron was worried about coming out publicly against her. Tasaru learned that Aaron had had personal revelation that Sabra was the Incarnate, and that she had fulfilled some prophecies by the Codex prophet Raphael. While Tasaru soaked in the information, Sabra appeared in the temple, openly singing her praises to the gods. Aaron herded her from the chapel and into his study, where she insisted on revealing herself to fight Uty. Aaron counseled her not to do so yet. When Sabra revealed that she had saved Henry, Tasaru grew furious. Henry appeared in the study and warned Tasaru. Tasaru left soon after, giving Aaron Hera Lupogryph's amethyst amulet and taking her leave. The Sunstone Demos Ess was traveling in the Forest of Gergo when he was captured by a tribe of Morva'i. They tied him up and laid him before an altar with a powerful ruby-red stone. The tribe's shaman threw something in Demos's face, which when he breathed in seemed to have a painfully poisonous effect on his body. The centaur prayed to the stone, and it flared to life with bright flames. The ropes burned from Demos, and he stole a nearby dropped bag as the centaurs fled. He jumped through the fires, which had a soothing and healing effect on his body, bagged the stone, and fled the village. Soon after, he met up with Valena Maurn, and together they spoke with Aero about their discovery. Tasaru joined her dragon-stone to the telepathic strings of communication and revealed that the stone they had may be the Sunstone. Aero commanded her Children to return to Ramirra as soon as possible, and that she would contact the other Draconite warriors. Demos and Valena left the forest and headed towards Kerri. Into Dragon's Peak Mountains Sabra dreamed of Luna, and Luna asked Sabra to trust her. After she awoke, she and Henry spoke in her father's Temple study, and he learned that she has redsnake. She turned in to bed shortly after, and was awoken by Aaron. He had learned that Uty was openly searching for Sabra, and he urged Sabra to escape the Temple. Aaron distracted Uty, who used her manna to torture Aaron, while Sabra and Henry escaped through the Temple back and went into the wilderness of the Dragon's Peak Mountains. After some time, they stopped, Sabra mourning over Aaron. They found sleep in the hollow of a large tree, and Sabra once more dreamed of Luna. Sabra spoke with Luna and realized she was the demi-goddess of Libera. Sabra believed Luna about the prophecy of the Incarnate, and begged Luna to help her save Zanoll. Luna merged into Sabra, and Sabra became the Incarnate. After Henry woke up, he discovered Sabra incarnated as Luna. Luna explained her condition to Henry, and they headed into the mountains to start their search for the Sunstone. Obelisk Tasaru came to Lantis after leaving Mal'ur, and she learned that there was a tight ban on sailing from the city. She decided to take a chance and fly over the Cantice Sea to get to Ramirra. On her way over, Kesral grew tired, and Tasaru was forced to swim to the nearby island of Obelisk. There she was succored by Hevan and another Unia'a. Tasaru learned that their coastal city had been invaded by Black Darts, and she agreed to help Hevan's forces fight them off. While Tasaru rested, she left the cave to relieve herself and met the demon Alalt, who warned her to stay away. The experience left her somewhat shaken. A week later, Tasaru joined Hevan in a surprise attack on the Black Darts. When Hevan's forces were being routed by the Darts, Kesral regained her strength, and Tasaru was able to summon Kesral's wings to help fight. The additional power helped Tasaru turn the tide of the fight, and she helped Hevan overthrow the Black Darts. Tasaru departed the island soon after and made her way to Ramirra. The Dragonriders Henry and Luna traveled further up into the mountains, where they were assaulted by a wild dragon. Luna calmed the dragon by singing to it, and she freed it from some bonds that tied its wings down. They camped for the night, and after Henry dreamt of when he first met Sabra, resented Luna for using Sabra's body. Luna sensed his discomfort and granted Henry a vision of Sabra to reassure him she was safe. In the morning, a flight of dragonriders greeted Henry and Luna, led by the rider Will. Will took them to the dragonrider vale. They were allowed to stay in the dragonrider caves, and they took turns bathing. While Luna bathed, she communed with Sabra and explained her feelings for Zarem. Sabra sympathized with Luna and promised they would get the Sunstone. Aero's Disappearance, A Poisoned Dagger Tasaru returned to Ramirra and the Ramirran Temple, where she met up with Zephyr and Draque Send. During an evening meal, Draque sensed a telepathic cry from Swift, and Zephyr agreed that they should follow the cry and try to find Aero, who had recently accompanied Hend Zuus to investigate the appearance of Black Darts in Ramirra. In Zanoll, Demos and Valena had arrived in Kerri, and paused to eat. While there, Will arrived on his dragon, carrying Luna and Henry. Will lent Henry a set of bronze daggers, which Luna counseled against using, as the Draconites made their way out of town. Henry chased after them, hitting Valena's shoulder with one of the daggers. Demos and Valena managed to temporarily evade them, and Demos removed the poisonous bronze substance from Valena's blood. Valena then distracted them while Demos headed towards Carron with the Sunstone. Luna tried to question Valena about the Sunstone, but Valena instead attacked Henry and Luna. Using the dormant powers of magic in Sabra's body, Luna managed to subdue Valena and her Gift, Dragonhart, and Henry and Luna headed towards Carron. Demos arrived in Carron long before Henry and Sabra, and stayed with Bronwyn the Bold while he waited for Valena. He left the city the day after and found her dead near the road, her chest pierced with a dagger. The dagger had a note left by the Black Dart Tyrenn. Demos destroyed the note, kept the dagger, and carried Valena back to the city. Hidden Heritage Tasaru, Zephyr, and Drake came to Minor Lake. Tasaru discovered Hend poisoned by bronze and bleeding near the lake shore, where he and Aero had downed an entire group of Black Darts. Hend revealed that the Black Darts had somehow taken Aero into the lake. The Dracontie warriors took Hend, the only survivor of the massacre, back to the Ramirran Temple for care, taking a back passage as to not attract too much attention. Hend learned he was dying while under the doctor's care, and demanded to speak with Tasaru alone. He revealed that Tasaru was his daughter, and Tasaru realized that the care of Ramirra was on her shoulders. Among Elves Henry and Luna arrived in Carron after Demos left the port city to return to Ramirra. They managed to find passage on a special ship that normally only took elven passengers to Obelisk. Once at Obelisk, Luna and Henry were forced to separate, and Luna disembarked onto the island. While there, she spoke with Sabra more about Sabra's elven nature. Luna helped the people, then governed by Hevan, to do restoration work, especially on damaged sea craft. After helping repair ships, Luna and Sabra found a ride to Ramirra on one of Hevan's boats, and they reunited with Henry at Zarrag Port. Demos' Return and Lake Base Demos returned to the Ramirran Temple, still holding Valena's body, and he learned of Hend's death. Because of his natural Molouk grief, he at first refused to let go of Valena, but Sophronia subdued him and took the body away. He then left to put the Sunstone somewhere safe and to meet up with Tasaru, Zephyr, and Draque, who had headed to Minor Lake. Aero awoke to find herself in a cavern, imprisoned and her manna subdued. She met Leader, who showed her visions of Valena's death and Hend's revelation to Tasaru. He gloated over her sorrow and guilt, and then left her alone. Tasaru, Zephyr, and Draque returned to Minor Lake to investigate Hend's claims. Zephyr and Draque went ahead as Tasaru kept watch, and they found a barrier under the water. They broke through it and found an entrance to an underground complex, where they were assaulted by Black Darts. While Tasaru stood guard, she learned through her dragon-stone of Demos' presence, and he warned her about the approach of Henry and Luna. Eventually the four meet together, and Luna suggested she would lead them in after the other Draconites. Tasaru doesn't completely trust her at first, but followed her anyway as Luna made a pathway into the water. They passed through the barrier, and Luna insisted on going into the underground complex alone. Tasaru and the others reluctantly waited. Demos revealed Valena's death to Tasaru, and they decided to combine the powers of their dragon-stones to try and contact Aero. Rescue and Funeral Luna entered the complex and found Aero, Zephyr, and Draque, all imprisoned together. Using Sabra's magic, she released Draconites, and then Leader came into the room. Leader taunted Luna, and Luna warned him to let them out. Leader attacked Aero, and the Black Darts with him also attacked. Luna helped Aero to escape the fight so she could find her Gift, which Leader had somehow managed to remove. Luna defended an attack from Leader and made him vanish, and she adn the Draconites managed to escape the caves. Luna and Henry remained at the Ramirran Temple as Ramirra held a funeral procession for Hend and Valena at the Lake of Remembrance. For Tasaru especially it was solemn, because she had to make a choice about her newly discovered heritage. Farewell At the Ramirran Temple, the Draconites had returned the Sunstone to Luna, and in return, Luna granted the Draconite clan a small piece of the Moonstone for safekeeping. Luna bade farewell to Henry, and her spirit and the Sunstone left Sabra. Sabra shared a tender hug and kiss with Henry. Luna's spirit came to Tasaru and counseled Tasaru about her royal heritage, indicating it was Tasaru's choice whether or not to take the throne. Tasaru felt she didn't have a choice, although Luna hinted otherwise. Tasaru began to accept more her heritage as royalty, and knew her identity as a Draconite regardless. Category:Books